From bastis

Germany is the largest country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic, to the south by Austria and Switzerland, and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Contents 1 Country Profile 1.1 Geography/Population 1.2 Politics 1.3 Economy 2 Tourism Demand 2.1 General 2.2 International travel 2.3 Travel behaviour 2.4 Holiday planning 2.5 Heritage Tourism 3 Traffic links into the Baltic Sea Region 3.1 Air 3.2 Sea 3.3 Rail 3.4 Road 4 References

Country Profile

Geography/Population

• Land area: 357,022 km² (country comparison to the world: 62)
• Population: 81.5 million inhabitants (country comparison to the world: 16); 229 inhabitants/km²; German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)
• Biggest Cities: Capital Berlin (3,400,000), Hamburg (1,800,000), Munich (1,300,00), Cologne (1,000,000)
• Urbanisation: 74% of the German population live in cities
• Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%
• Languages: German
• Age structure (Median age: 44.9 years):

0-14 years: 13.3%

15-64 years: 66.1%

65+ years: 20.6%

• Population projection: The German population will decrease in the future (2025: 79.3 million inhabitants)

_{Source: CIA - The World Factbook 2011 ^[1], UN Population divison 2010 ^[2]}

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Politics

• Government type: Federal republic
• Chief of state: Christian Wulff (2010)
• Head of government: Angela Merkel (since 2005)
• Administration: 16 states

_{Source: CIA - The World Factbook 2011 ^[1]}

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Economy

	2007	2008	2009	2010*	2011*	2015*
GDP (PPP) in billion US$	2,833.7	2,924.2	2,811.8	2,932.0	3,030.3	3,449.8
GDP development	+5.7%	+3.2%	-3.8%	+4.3%	+3.4%
GDP per capita (PPP) in US$	34,500	35,700	34,400	35,900	37,200	42,700
Inflation rate	2.3%	2.8%	0.2%	1.3%	1.4%
Unemployment rate	8.4%	7.3%	7.5%	7.1%	7.1%

^{*2010, 2011, 2015 data: estimates by IMF, October 2010}

• GDP-composition by sector: services: 71.3% industry: 27.9% agriculture: 0.8%
• The German economy - the fifth largest economy in the world in PPP terms and Europe's largest - is a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment and benefits from a highly skilled labor force.
• Import- and export: Most important partners are France, US, Netherlands, UK, Italy, China, Austria, Switzerland
• Currency: Euro
• Income distribution: Germanys distibution of income is quite balanced (country comparison in the world: 11)
• HDI (Human Development Index): Germany is a „Very High Human Development“ Country (2010: country comparison in the world: 10)
• Media access: 75% of German households with Internet access; 187 Phones per 100 inhabitants; ICT Development Index (IDI), worldwide benchmarking of communication infrastructure: Rank 13

_{Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database ^[3], CIA - The World Factbook 2011 ^[1], UNDP Human Development Report 2010 ^[4], OECD Factbook (2010) ^[5], ITU International Telecommunication Union ^[6]}

Tourism Demand

General

• Travel propensity: 79% of the Germans travelled at least once in 2009, either for business or private purposes. This is the tenths highest value of all European countries. Note: travelling was defined as spending one night away from home, for private or business purposes.
• "Private" travel propensity:

75% of the Germans had travelled – for private reasons – at least once in 2009

30% had made at least one holiday trip (4+ nights) and at least one short private trip (1-3 nights)

34% had made at least one holiday trip but no short private trips

11% had made at least one short private trip but no holiday trips

• Travel frequency of the German private travellers:

27% of them made exactly one holiday or short private trip in 2009

24% made two

19% made three

18% four to five

9% six to ten

3% more than ten trips

• Domestic holidays: The share of main holiday trips of the Germans with domestic destinations was 25% in 2008. In European comparison this value is quite low. Other countries with low domestic shares are e.g. the Benelux states, the Scandinavic countries and the UK, because traditionally in these countries holiday trips abroad dominate.

_{Source: Flash Eurobarometer 291 (2010) ^[7] Flash Eurobarometer 258 (2009) ^[8]}

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International travel

	2006	2007	2008	2009
Number of international trips of the Germans	74,5 million	75,9 million	75,8 million	73,0 million

• Holiday/business/VFR: 69% of the 73,0 million international trips in 2009 were holiday and 31% business or VFR trips (visiting friends and relatives).
• Destinations of 50,3 million international holiday trips 2009 ("long" and "short" holidays):

1. Spain (16% - 8,0 million)
2. Austria (16% - 8,0 million)
3. Italy (14% - 7,0 million)
4. Turkey (8% - 4,0 million)
5. France (5% - 2,5 million)
6. The Netherlands (5% - 2,5 million)
7. Greece (4% - 2,0 million)

_{Sources: IPK International (2010)^[9]IPK International (2009) ^[10]IPK International (2008)^[11] and IPK International (2007)^[12]}

The Reiseanalyse delivers the following additional data on 43,7 million international holiday trips in 2009 (4+ nights):

• Frequency of international travel: 54% of the Germans (14+ years old) took international holiday trips in 2009 (35,3 million):

• Regional source markets:

1. Northrhine-Westfalia|Nordrhein-Westfalen 21%
2. Bavaria|Bayern 15%
3. Baden-Wuerttemberg|Baden-Württemberg 14%
4. Lower Saxony|Niedersachsen 10%
5. Hesse|Hessen 7%
6. Rheinland-Pfalz 5%
7. Saxony|Sachsen 5%
8. Berlin|Berlin 5%
9. Schleswig-Holstein|Schleswig-Holstein 4%
10. Thuringia|Thüringen 3%
11. Saxony-Anhalt|Sachsen-Anhalt 3%
12. Hamburg|Hamburg 3%
13. Brandenburg|Brandenburg 3%
14. Mecklenburg-West Pomerania|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 2%
15. Saarland|Saarland 1%
16. Bremen|Bremen 1%

• Duration of international trips of the Germans 2009:

International holiday trips: 12,2 nights

International VFR trips: 17,3 nights

• International holiday travel spendings 2009: total 42,6 billion Euro - corresponding to 1,795 Euro per international holiday trip and 147 Euro per night abroad. Note: including all costs of travel and transport at home and at the destination

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Travel behaviour

• Major Motivation for main holiday trip 2009:

1. Rest/recreation 30% [EU27: 37%]
2. Sun/beach 19% [EU27: 19%]
3. Visiting someone 13% [EU27: 17%]

• Method of transport for main holiday trip 2009:

1. Car 50% [EU27: 48%]
2. Airplane 35% [EU27: 35%]
3. Bus 6% [EU27: 6%]
4. Train 6% [EU27: 7%]
5. Boat 2% [EU27: 2%]

• Organisation of main holiday trip 2009:

53% Travel organised individually [EU27: 58%]

16% Travel booked through travel agency [EU27: 13%]

11% Package tour booked via Internet [EU27: 11%]

13% Package tour booked through travel agency [EU27: 10%]

7% Other [EU27: 7%]

_{Source: Flash Eurobarometer 291 (2010) ^[7]}

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Holiday planning

• Holiday destination choice criteria of the Germans:

1. The environment 53% [EU27: 32%]
2. Cultural heritage 22% [EU27: 25%]
3. Entertainment 8% [EU27: 16%]

• Information sources for holiday planning:

1. Recommendations of friends/relatives: total 56% [EU27: 58%], most important source 27% [EU27: 30%]
2. Internet: total 46% [EU27: 42%], most important source 27% [EU27: 24%]
3. Personal experience: total 26% [EU27: 31%], most important source 16% [EU27: 18%]
4. Travel and tourist agencies: total 25% [EU27: 22%], most important source 12% [EU27: 11%]
5. Catalogues/brochures: total 16% [EU27: 14%], most important source 6% [EU27: 6%]
6. Guidebooks/magazines: total 14% [EU27: 12%], most important source 6% [EU27: 5%]
7. Media (TV, radio, newspaper): total 13% [EU27: 9%], most important source 5% [EU27: 3%]

• Destination preferences:

57% Traditional, well-known destinations [EU27: 57%]

32% Non-traditional, emerging destinations [EU27: 28%]

10% Not important, no preference [EU27: 13%]

• Planned destination main holiday trip 2010:

26% Germany

3% Baltic Sea Region (outside Germany)

52% Outside BSR

19% No main holiday planned

_{Source: Flash Eurobarometer 291 (2010) ^[7]}

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Heritage Tourism

• Major Motivation for main holiday trip 2009:

1. Rest/recreation 30% [EU27: 37%]
2. Sun/beach 19% [EU27: 19%]
3. Visiting someone 13% [EU27: 17%]
4. Nature 11% [EU27: 6%]
5. Culture/religion 8% [EU27: 6%]
6. City trip 7% [EU27: 7%]
7. Sports-related 7% [EU27: 4%]
8. Wellness/health 4% [EU27: 3%]

• Holiday destination choice criteria of the Germans:

1. The environment 53% [EU27: 32%]
2. Cultural heritage 22% [EU27: 25%]
3. Entertainment 8% [EU27: 16%]
4. Gastronomy 4% [EU27: 6%]
5. Art 3% [EU27: 6%]
6. Festivals/events 4% [EU27: 5%]

• Expectations about emerging destinations:

Expectations about emerging destinations vary widely across the different European countries. In Germany respondents’ main expectations lay in the 'discovery of local culture and lifestyle' (35% [EU27: 33%]). Consequently other expectations, such as better value for money, lower prices, better environmental quality and better quality of service played a slightly minor role for the Germans

_{Source: Flash Eurobarometer 291 (2010) ^[7]}

Traffic links into the Baltic Sea Region

Air

Germany's transport infrastructure is among the best in Europe. As well as the extent of the network, the excellent links between different modes of transport enable everyone to travel between places quickly and easily.The country is criss-crossed by 12,700 kilometres of autobahn and a rail network of nearly 35,000 kilometres with around 5,400 stations, while air passengers have more than 40 airports to choose from.

Germanys major international airport is Frankfurt (FRA), followed by Munich, Düsseldorf, Berlin Tegel and Hamburg. Other important airports offering international flights into the Baltic Sea Region are Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart, Berlin Schönefeld, Hannover and Nuremberg. Please look up the airport links for their current connections into the BSR:

• Frankfurt Airport
• Munich Airport
• Düsseldorf Airport
• Berlin Airports
• Hamburg Airport
• Cologne/Bonn Airport
• Stuttgart Airport
• Hannover Airport
• Nuremberg Airport

Sea

There are many ferry-connections from Germany into the Baltic Sea Region, e.g. to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania or Russia. A current overview of the ferry lines can be found here.

Rail

Germany has a huge railway network with many international connections. Trains into the Baltic Sea Region mostly depart from Hamburg, some also from Berlin. There are high speed trains (ICE) from Hamburg to Copenhagen and Aarhus (Denmark), from Berlin to Copenhagen as well as a City Nightline (CNL) from Hamburg to Copenhagen. Via Copenhagen, also Sweden can be reached easily via train (e.g. Malmö, Lund or Stockholm). In addition, the Berlin-Warsawa-Express connects Germany with the Polish Capital up to four times a day. For further information see Deutsche Bahn or German train stations.

Road

Germany has a world-famous network of excellent roads and motorways (Autobahn) with no toll or fees for cars (trucks have to pay).

Heading towards Denmark on the road, you will most certainly leave Germany on the E45 (A7) to Vestjylland, on the E47 (A1) via Puttgarden-Rødby (by car ferry) or on the E55 (A19) via Rostock/Warnemünde-Gedser (also by car ferry).

There are many motorways from Germany to Poland as well: The E23 (A11) crossing the boarder at Szczenin, the E30 (A12) with a boarder-cross close to Frankfurt/Oder, the E36 (A15) which crosses the boarder som kilometers east of Cottbus and the E40 (A4) with a boarder-cross nearby Görlitz.

The other countries of the Baltic Sea Region can either be reached via Denmark or Poland or by car ferry.

For further information on motorways in Germany see here

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} CIA - The World Factbook, January 2011 [1]
2. ↑ UN Population division 2010 [2]
3. ↑ IMF (International Monetary Fund): World Economic Outlook Database, October 2010 [3]
4. ↑ UNDP Human Development Report 2010[4]
5. ↑ OECD Factbook 2010: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics [5]
6. ↑ ITU International Telecommunication Union, Measuring the Information Society 2010 [6]
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} European Commission: Flash Eurobarometer 291, March 2010: Survey on the attitudes of Europeans towards tourism [7]
8. ↑ European Commission: Flash Eurobarometer 258, March 2019: Survey on the attitudes of Europeans towards tourism [8]
9. ↑ IPK International (2010): Weltweite Reisetrends 2009 [9],
10. ↑ IPK International (2009): Weltweite Reisetrends 2008 [10],
11. ↑ IPK Intenational (2008): Weltweite Reisetrends 2007 [11]
12. ↑ IPK Intenational (2007): Weltweite Reisetrends 2006 [12]